Cultural Leadership International (CLI) will help to develop a new generation of cultural leaders. It will create a large network of next generation leaders who will utilise the skills and experience gained in the programme to drive an open, tolerant and integrated society.
CLI will build and support partnerships and collaborations using UK cultural leadership expertise. It will generate opportunities for the exchange of knowledge, experiences and ideas, and create opportunities for people to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations.

The Programme

The CLI pilot year (April 2009 – March 2010) will engage with partners and participants in countries across the UK, Western Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the United States.

All participant applications will be made through a nomination process in which British Council staff will work with partners to identify potential participants and invite several applications per country. They will then enter a three-phase competitive process.

Pilot Year: Three-Phase Process

• Leadership Development Days: Two people from each participating country took part in a two day event in their region
• International Meeting Point, UK: One participant for each country was selected to go forward based on the strength of their Development Plans
• Implement Individual Development Plan: The final group of participants carry out their Development Plans

At the end of this first year we will assess the methodology, and aim to expand the scale and geographical remit of the programme.

The Programme Launch

On 8 & 9 July 2009 thirty five cultural leaders from around the world came together in London to develop their skills and professional networks through a 2-day British Council-run programme involving case studies, action learning sets, collaborative project planning, panel discussions with prominent speakers and networking opportunities.

During the event on 8 July, prominent cultural figures from Europe and the Middle East debated what it means to be a cultural leader, and discussed how a new and interconnected generation of cultural leaders could work together for greater impact on society. Speakers from the Arab world included author and cultural commentator Ahdaf Soueif, and writer and social activist Dr Naif Al Mutawa.
This event was preceded by ‘Leadership Development Days’ which constituted interactive, reflective, and dynamic activities aimed at exploring personal leadership styles. All 70 participants who attended the Leadership Development Days were invited to submit an Individual Development Plan, outlining their development needs and aims, their proposed activities and the potential impact of their plans. In June, one participant per country was selected by regional panels to take forward their Individual Development Plans, and invited to attend this global networking and leadership development event in London in July.

Countries involved this year are: Algeria, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Netherlands, Oman, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen, UAE, and USA.

The programme will offer a varied and tailored programme of activities, for example:

• work-based placements
• networking opportunities
• coaching and mentoring
• creative collaborations and experiential learning

For more information log on to Cultural Leadership International website